Existential man says ...

... I can be responsible for ...
...... for what I do ...
......... for who I am ...
............ for the way I face and deal with the world ...

I don't need a politician, I just need neighbours ...

I'm off for a few days to recharge my battery's, I am so tired, voted by post with the aim of keeping Plaid Cymru out of the Assembly, Ron Davies is my personal nightmare, and giving a smaller party the chance of a soapbox, a smaller party that might have a Farage moment if ellected.

A tale of two ...

... cities,  no a tale of two people, a politician seeking ways to lighten your pockets, and a businessman with an idea that works, in fact a blueprint to rejuvenate the Wales economy. 

The politician is a regional addition for South Wales West, well to the left of Lenin, much like her poet father, Bethan Jenkins.  To read in full her pathetic offering to the unemployed of Wales in full try Wales Home, in fact lets not bother with a précis , it has so little depth jump to her pathetic offering, it proposes more museums to the past in the hope that people will be attracted in such numbers to overwhelm our tourist industry, much like the National Botanic Garden of Wales, nice idea, no business plan.

The businessman is a different kettle of fish, his idea works ...

.... and presents a model for Wales, where is the WDA, oops, politicians abolished it .........

The word on the street is Pieminister is moving from Bristol to Llantrisant, here's hoping that maybe Bethan Jenkins could take her political pies to Bristol, Wales would be the winner ......... and the business model, educate our young people and have funds to fill the gaps left by personal guarantee and bank loans, you see Bethan Jenkins, it is business ideas and money that create prosperity, not ........... Plaid Pie in the Sky.

This week I have been thinking of two ...

... people, my father who died aged 42 years and his sister who died last year, 90 years of age, they were twins, today is their birthday.  I wonder how they would make sense of the world today ...

... where the freedoms they fought for are being squandered by an apathetic electorate and politicians devoid of ideas to improve this country of ours .........

... and where, in the Middle East and North Africa tyrants of Syria and Libya who are murdering the citizens of their respective countries, the only crime these people have committed is to ask for the freedoms we take for granted.  In Syria the public expression that calls for democracy has erupted in 11 cities, the tyrannical response from bully boy Assad has been to callously murder people attending funerals of people previously killed by the security forces.  In Libya the current response is to use cluster bombs against women and children, has Gaddafi enough munitions to kill the whole population I wonder ?

The more brutal the regime, ...

... the more urgent the call for "freedom".

In Syria many thousands of anti-government protesters have protested against against Syria's brutal regime, no violence from the protesters, but their message must point the way to the cliff of oblivion for Assad and his despicable regime.  In the countries third largest city of "Homs", the protesters insist they will not leave until they bring down the country's leadership,

In response to the weekend protests by the people of Syria, President Bashar al-Assad interior ministry has said the unrest amounts to armed insurrection, unfortunately for the people the arms of Assad's brutal regime were turned on innocent people asking for "freedom", to be let loose from the chains of Syria's long-standing emergency laws (48 years of oppression and counting) and a call for the release of political prisoners.

Human rights groups say at least 200 protesters have been killed in the past four weeks by security forces propping up the dictatorship of Assad, for these 200 people the man needs a trial in Syria, and when found guilty of ordering the murder of those 200 people should be taken to a public gallows as an example to the rest of the world.



And in Wales there is the election having the flavour of gruel, where politicians debate issues that are outwith their political remit, it is easier to discuss UK wide taxation as opposed to the underfunding of out schoolchildren to the tune of £600 per pupil year ............... they had the money, where was it spent.

... and Gollum continues to eat fish in the political back alleys of Cardiff Bay ... whilst in Swansea Plaid are out in force playing out their nationalist confidence trick, elsewhere the politicians discuss things amongst themselves, it is dangerous to interact with the electorate and their families.

Gollum quite likes Kirsty, ...

... so much so, he's dabbling in the magic of mirrors ...

... not according to last weeks polls ....

Gollum says vote Plaid ...

... his is the Plaid way ................... a fictional personality for a fictional future.

Why would you serve food on ...

...such a sharp stick he asked ....

... of course you could have sharp food on a blunt stick ...

... particularly when we need to protect people in fear for their lives ...

... fleeing from Gaddafi, a man who sends tanks against the people of Lybia.


The leaders of the US, the UK and France have said in a joint letter that there can be no peace in Libya while Muammar Gaddafi stays in power ........... so say all of us .......... or do we ?

Ron Davies, a former man of many things, said ...

... the Labour Party is scared witless.  This is the man, who is described as one of Plaid Cymru's highest profile candidates, this is a man of many political colours, or rather a man who wears many coloured political coats.  A failed Labour Party politician, a failed "Forward Wales" politician,  the charity of local authority independent (no one wanted him) politics, and then a leap across a political divide to Plaid Cymru the separatist party of Wales. 


His supporters in Plaid Cymru have taken to insults in order to assist this inconsequential buffoon of Wales politics, an internal Plaid document emerged describing his Labour rival, Jeff Cuthbert, as a "three-legged carthorse" who should be sent to the "knacker’s yard".  Despicable Plaid Cymru refuses to apologise for its cretinous description of a hard working Welsh Assembly politician, Plaid, and Ron Davies in particular remind me of a Blackadder Christmas special and the line spoken by the Queen ...


"I remember when I was young putting out biscuits and a drink for Father Christmas - And then scoffing it all because I was a princess, I could do whatever I want!"

In his own words "Ron Davies acknowledged that he was receiving treatment for a personality disorder which led him to seek out risky situations", so Plaid would foist on the people of Caerphilly a politician with personality issues ...... no thanks.

... we prefer Mr Cuthbert to represent Caerphilly, a man who wears a coat of one colour, albeit red, he is a constituency politician who places the public before the politics of the Plaid gutter.

I wrote elsewhere ...

... there is more to politics in Wales than Betsan's "tactics or strategy", there is the pragmatic way of minority politics ...

... less governance, the promotion of personal responsibility, and the liberal conservative traditions of Wales.

It is only necessary to have an insurmountable majority when it is the intention to impose radical measures upon the population, following on from the financial crisis which was both commercial, public, and private in nature, the vast majority of those countries affected are tackling their deficits. In the UK, and by definition Wales, the government in coalition, the insurmountable majority, has decided the vast public sector consumes a too-great a proportion of national income, thus requires cutting to be sustainable, affordable only when we "cut [y]our cloth according to [y]our means".

In Wales the budget cuts are manageable, and the Labour Party are able to manage as a family who had its income drop by 5% in the last year just through a pay freeze, as has happened for the last three years in some sectors, the public sector might contemplate the effect a 12% cut in pay has. And politically the Labour Party could manage these difficult times by concentrating its efforts on budget management not political rhetoric, and I would be surprised if it could not co-opt other Assembly members in its concentration.

My hope for the Labour Party, when it has the greatest share of the votes, is for it to "get on with governance", be managers for a few years, it's what the voters are hoping for, the radical days of the 18th and 19th century are long gone, we are all sitting in the [comfortable] middle ground .....

...  for an example of negative politicking out of step with reality see here ...... this particular character believes he has something to offer the people of Wales, a pantomime.

Spot the similarity ...

... they are not much like Al-Assad or Gaddafi, more like the Stepford Wives.

Spot the difference ....

.....

 

... the first is older, both murder the people they govern.

Is there an English question, or ...

... might it be the political "Chekhov's gun", a deceitful prop being introduced to induce further disintegration of the United Kingdom into 21st century fiefdoms.  Miserable writes briefly of this "English question" as a small dissertation focussing upon issues that are shared between England and Wales and issues that are of England or Wales in isolation.

The position taken by Miserable is by and large that of most political pundits and the occasional media hack, it revolves around decision making, it focuses upon the minutia of "issues" and a determination as to geographical influence.  In Wales the example of an emotive Wales issue is the failing Welsh language TV channel S4C, it is a prime example of a Wales issue that is in fact an England and Wales issue, it is not a Wales specific issue because the funding is UK wide, an imposition upon every taxpayer no matter where domiciled.  By the same token each and every area of political influence is not an England "or" Wales issue but an England "and" Wales issue because every issue is concerned with funding.

When the vociferous amongst us speak of the "English question" I think it important we ask the question "where are you positioned", what are your politics, because it seems to be very important to those of a Nationalist bent, whether English or Welsh and occasional Scot if Alex Salmond can sense any mileage in it for him.  I remember shortly after the Secretary of State Cheryl Gillan was appointed, she used an expression that today might have some meaning, she said ...

... funding that is fair to everyone in England and Wales ...

... I have wondered whether it is the intention of politicians to equalise funding across England and Wales for the devolved responsibilities, will politicians have the cojones continue the equalising journey across Hadrian's wall into Scotland ............


........... or might the answer be to cut loose from the fringes of Britain "be done with the question!"

According to Welsh Ramblings, ....

.... you can read it in full here, the difference between Plaid Cymru and the other political parties in Wales is ...

... The Tories don't really have any politics, similarly to the Lib Dems and Labour. They pursue a managerial agenda based on treating voters like consumers and "marketing" short-termist ideas to them ...

Apparently our separatist political party doesn't offer the political carrot to an unwary electorate, I think WR is indulging in a spot of wishful thinking, his particular testimony can be disabused with ease, from the BBC a list of the promises made by Plaid Cymru, its carrots ...

•  A doctor and dentist when you need one.
• Support university students by meeting the extra cost of top-up fees for Welsh domiciled students.
• Continue to fight for a strong Common Agricultural Policy and to maintain the direct payments to Welsh farmers.
• Create a new Welsh language innovation fund to strengthen Welsh ......
• Invest across Wales in the retrofitting and insulation of homes ....
• Create a multi-million pound growth fund .....
• Continue to provide relative protection for schools, hospitals ...
• Expand the Flying Start programme to increase the provision of free childcare.

.... and last but not least, transport, the "Big Issue" for WR ...

 Improve rail services and ensure greater investment in the Welsh railways ...

 ... so when in the political glass house it is generally considered good advice not to throw stones, Plaid is no different to any other political party, party of carrots ...

... who was it that said ...

"when politicians discover how to bribe the electorate with their own money democracy will be lost"

When Plaid lost John Dixon, who now describes himself as  ...

... a former Plaid Cymru member, activist, candidate, and national officer, including periods as Party Chair in 1992-3 and 2002-2010. An unrepentant radical who believes strongly that we can reshape economics to serve humanity rather than adapt humanity to serve economics.

... they also became just another resting place for people who would tell us how to live our lives, so Welsh Ramblings, ardent as you might be about your chosen political friends, they are no different to any other group at the Wales Assembly ......... just politicians with their hands in our pockets ........

Update ... it was Alexis de Tocqueville (Democracy in America), an eminent representative of the classical liberal political tradition

 who wrote ...

"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money."

... politicians learn quick.

... a very personal reply to Julius, who wrote ...

... to me via email "Kirsty Williams , dunno what to make of her , hope she is re-elected though ..."

You are absolutely right Julius, we need Kirsty Williams in the Assembly, we need Peter Black in the Assembly, we also need every other Liberal that the public will elect; there aren't many, more is the shame, and we can find a Liberal wearing many different political suits, including no suit at all.

One of the greatest no suit Liberal, in my opinion, was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, he took opposition to new heights when he pioneered satyagraha ( resistance to tyranny through mass peaceful civil disobedience),

... the image is Gandhi beginning the great march against the salt tax.

... now I'm not suggesting that every country needs their own Gandhi, but I do believe we can find tyranny in every country of the world, if we look hard enough we can even tyranny it in our local communities and in our places of work.  The difficult part is defeating the tyrant without destroying life of those dependent upon yourself, some might say "cutting your nose to spite your face".

In Wales we have the Welsh Assembly Government and though it has few restraints on its actions, there is a world of difference when we compare our politics to the politics of Iran where the leader is elected by a "Council of Experts" ( 86 Islamic scholars) and they execute people who find a new form of worship in Christianity, so I look to Switzerland and Denmark for inspiration for political reform in Wales where politicians are held to account through a persistence of referendum, the belief that people should be able to control or limit politics.

I digress, thanks for your email Julius ....

 

What does she mean ? ....

... Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams when she said ......

Make sure your council can deliver for you by cutting restrictions that stop them innovating and acting in the best interest of local communities.

Is she accusing the previous Assembly administrations of imposing restrictions to prevent innovation, is she saying previous administrations have created legislation not in the interests of local communities ?

... must we put up with the joker in the pack ...

... she might at least use language that people can understand, in the footsteps of the great Liberals, Liberals such as David Lloyd George, rather than the gobbledygook of Cardiff Bay politics, meaningless soundbites ...

... is there a real Liberal out there?

AC Grayling has published ....

... an alternative "The Good Book", a distillation of all things secular, he writes ...

"Unlike religious ethics, humanism does not invoke the commands, promises or punishments of divinities.  Instead, humanism is drawn from human experience and offers to people everywhere a basis for living good, courageous and flourishing lives.

That is what the best secular thinkers of all ages dedicated themselves to and it is their wisdom that has been distilled into the pages of The Good Book".

... unfortunately Mr. Grayling does not attempt to ask the two most thought provoking questions ...

• where do we come from?
• why are we here?

... the first question might be answerable by science, but the second question needs philosophy or religion (is there a difference).

I remember a lady speaking on the radio sometime last year, it was late Summer or early Autumn, the trees had leaves and I wasn't wearing a coat, she said ...

"when I get up in the morning, my faith gives me a purpose for my existence, I couldn't imagine living life without purpose".

... odd thing religious faith, you either have it or you don't; my mother had faith, believed in a Christian god, believed in heaven, she worried that when she saw my father once again she would look so much older than him, he died at an early age.  That was faith.

Why does AC Grayling spend so much time trying to take away from people their faith, it belongs to the individual, it is much like freedom of speech, a very personal and private explanation of things inexplicable.

I have no religion, but to Mr Grayling I would send the message...

"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."  Einstein.

You can have anything you want ...

... as long as I want to give it to you.


"I would like to be part of Naom Chomsky's ".... democracy where the people participate", unfortunately, not in Wales. It seems participation is restricted to election time, otherwise you can participate, but only if the outcome is largely irrelevant.

Do you want to save a bridge for cultural reasons, no problem, we will build a new bridge alongside the old, the best of both worlds, I don't disagree with the sentiment or outcome, it happened in Ponty.

... old in the foreground, the new seemingly underneath, but the decision to keep the old and maintain it in perpetuity is only a line on a balance sheet, politically irrelevant.

Let me digress slightly ...


Next months elections to the Assembly has produced a few forgettable promises that mean very little, for example ....

The Conservatives ...... Create a government manufacturing strategy, aimed at safeguarding jobs and supporting the creation of new hi-tech businesses.

The Labour Party ...... Foster a new relationship with the business community and social partners, led by the first minister.

The Liberal Democrats ...... Develop a Jobs and Growth Innovation Programme to include an increase in the number of patents, establishing business-mentoring schemes and upgrade old manufacturing sites for new jobs.

Plaid Cymru ...... Support 30,000 apprenticeships and develop a high value in-work training programme.


The operative words are Conservative - strategy, Labour - foster, Liberal Democrats - develop, Plaid - support.

In other words, much like Ponty bridge, forgettable sound-bites without substance designed so that there will be no sleepless nights for our Wales politicians.  There are a few elephants in the room, but with a clever use of blue smoke and mirrors, our politicians will use other organisations to fire the bullets of justice, planning for large scale power generation, teacher recruitment and pay, these are issues that will scare the pants off the electorate, so will be dealt with as below the line accounting, hidden that is until it is too late for an effective debate.

Noticeable by its absence is "tax raising powers", this is another area that could cause the electorate to rise up at any time and say "No".  Our politicians in Wales are lazy, maybe not physically lazy, but democratically lazy, they seem to enjoy the trappings of power without any real responsibility, cry foul I hear ...... from politicians that is ......

...... the NHS, there has been extensive criticism about a £billion miss-spent and a refusal by the Health Minister to debate the issue. 

...... the £600 per pupil year underspend when compared with other parts of the UK, what about it, there is no mechanism by which the elected Wales Assembly members can demand a reason and get an answer why our children are disadvantaged by government priorities.

In fact we are kept in the dark as to where the money was actually spent regarding both issues, be rest assured the funding was received by WAG and it is known how the money was either misused or diverted.

Though, if the First Minister sees advantage in a fundamental change to our democracy it is possible, the 5th May referendum for the "Alternative Vote" is an example that First Minister Carwyn Jones embraces and suggests it should be adopted in the Assembly.  Early indications are that the Labour Party may have a decisive advantage if AV were adopted by the Wales electorate.

So, as I started, so I will end .....

You can have anything you want ...

                        ... as long as I want to give it to you.

A love story in Caerphilly politics, ...

... Plaid leader Lyndsay Whittle and co-conspirator Ron "moment of madness" Davies, both cosying up to project an image of success to the voters of Bargoed in the run-up to the Assembly elections on 5th May next, unfortunately they have used taxpayers money to create a pamphlet that includes photographs that projects them both as leaders of largess, a dishonest projection.

Other politicians in the Caerphilly area, if they had kept their eyes on the ball, would have noticed other examples of the Davies-Whittle Assembly election ticket, they seem to be personally responsible for every future project in the borough, a cynical use of taxpayers hard earned money is not an uncommon event in the world, but in this instance with Davies standing as Plaid’s Caerphilly constituency candidate and Mr Whittle on Plaid's South East Wales regional list there is a smell that lingers.

Would I, a Conservative, vote for Ron "moment of madness" Davies, absolutely not, this year I will lend my vote to the Labour Party candidate, I had to take a deep breath before writing that, I will vote for Labour not because I have a deep seated abhorrence for the nationalism that Plaid stands for, but because Davies has changed his coat so many times I believe Davies will represent the views of Davies, not the electorate.

The use of taxpayers hard earned money to promote political careers is a "Love Story" that sticks in my throat, shame on both politicians, shame on the council officials who approved the pamphlets.